Maserati Quattroporte Review (2012-2024)

What is the Maserati Quattroporte?

We’ve come across some fairly bizarre car model names over the years, but “four-door” takes the biscuit, purely for its inherent laziness. Thankfully, ‘quattro porte’ sounds far better in Maserati’s native tongue and this stylish Italian four-door luxury sports saloon has been tempting customers with large displacement engines, an engaging driving experience and sleek Italian design since the very first model cruised the winding roads of Tuscany in 1963.

The sixth generation, which was on sale between 2013 and 2024, is arguably the largest, curviest and most luxurious of all the four-door saloons Maserati has produced over recent years.

How practical is it?

That longer body means increased legroom in the rear, a deliberate ploy from the Italians in order to steal sales from luxury limos like the Jaguar XJ, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series. It’s a ploy that’s successful as well, as rear legroom is huge, and although headroom isn’t quite so generous, there’s enough to comfortably accommodate a couple of tall adults in appropriate amounts of luxury. The huge 530-litre boot also means all the Quattroporte’s occupants will have enough room for their designer luggage, and unlike many cars in the class, you even get split-folding rear seats that allow you to carry longer loads.

The seats are predictably sumptuous, although not as soft and plump as those found in other luxury cars. Instead, they are firm and supportive, perfect for promoting good posture on longer drives.

Although still undeniably Italian in its elegance, the design of the most recent model arguably lacks the grace of its Pininfarina-penned predecessor, with more unnecessarily flashy flourishes, a gaping front grille and myriad creases in the bonnet that nudge it further away from traditional Italian sports car design. This visual refresh, coupled with the stretched chassis and massive rear legroom, suggests that Maserati was attempting to appeal to the Chinese market with its latest model, although it will likely never admit that fact.

What's it like to drive?

Regardless, the real magic lies underneath the bonnet, where customers can select from a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 in two states of tune, 345bhp in the standard Quattroporte (later known as the GT), or 424bhp in the more potent Quattroporte S (later known as the Modena). There’s also an even-more-potent 3.8-litre V8 with 572bhp and the input of Ferrari’s technical bods in the range-topping Quattroporte, known as either the GTS or the Trofeo, depending on its age. The V8 boasts a top speed of 203mph and overtly aggressive styling to boot. A 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 diesel was also available at launch but is no longer on sale in the UK. As you would expect, no version is slow, and the more powerful versions are devilishly quick.

The sound-proofing and general refinement is also brilliant, with those rear occupants neatly sealed from the majority of road- and wind roar. However, the Quattroporte has always been a performance machine and its ride reflects this. A Mercedes S-Class, for example, majestically floats along the road, but the Italian rival is tangibly firmer. The upside of this is that it’s more enjoyable to drive in bends than many competitors.

Maserati introduced its own Skyhook Suspension system with the 2016 updates, which uses computing power and myriad sensors to constantly monitor the road and electronically adjust the damping to suit. Anti-dive technology means the body doesn’t lean forward during braking and similarly, anti-roll limits body roll through corners. A Sport mode sets all of these parameters in their firmest setting for the most performance-orientated drive.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Inside, it’s a heady mix of Italian luxury, with plenty of leather covering most surfaces and optional wood trim for the dash and doors. Elsewhere, however, the materials are rather hit-and-miss, with some of them feeling like they simply don’t belong in a car with this sort of pricetag. There’s also a healthy dose of Italian idiosyncrasy, because the layout of the buttons and other switchgear isn’t the most intuitive that you’ll ever come across.

Post-2016 facelift models see the in-car entertainment improved significantly, with a larger touchscreen and a rotary controller nestled in among the wood veneers of the centre console. That said, it’s still some way off what you’ll find in a BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz in terms of its technological prowess, and the system can have a few Maserati moments of indecisiveness or general navigational befuddlement.

Despite the various misgivings, though, this is a luxury saloon that has real soul and feels properly entertaining to drive. Owners will have to put up with minor quirks, but it feels like a truly stunning alternative to the generally homogenous crowd of rivals.

Maserati Quattroporte running costs

Owning and running a Maserati will always require deep pockets, as you not only have the expensive cocktail of poor fuel economy, the loftiest insurance group and high emissions (leading to higher rate vehicle tax), but there’s also the issue of regular servicing at notoriously costly authorised dealers.

Add in the very poor residual values of luxury vehicles like this, and you have the perfect blueprint for burning through savings. Savvy buyers will look to make huge savings on the used market where it is common to find extremely well specified, low mileage models on sale with price tags that are a third of what it would cost when new.

Maserati attempted to lower the cost of running with its diesel model, which is by far the most efficient available, but with official fuel economy figures of 35.8mpg, it’s still going to be fairly costly to run, especially if you carry out a lot of inner city or town driving.

Let’s face it, as romantic as a big V8 sounds, it doesn’t really fit in to the modern world of motoring, and rivals - such as Audi and BMW - have already started to add battery packs and electric motors to their flagship saloons. The hybrid approach helps to keep emissions down and improve fuel economy, making the ownership experience easier on the wallet and lessen the environmental impact.

Maserati Quattroporte reliability

Modern Maseratis undergo extremely strict quality control, with official marketing materials stating that every new car undergoes some 700 checks before being released into the wild. During the development stage of the latest Quattroporte, Maserati chalked up four million test miles in order to iron out any problems.

But dig around a few forums and speak to owners, and many have a very different story, with tales of the headliners in older models peeling away in the heat, interior trim pieces falling off and excessive tyre wear costing owners a packet.

It comes as no surprise, then, that Maserati has scored poorly in previous reliability indexes and surveys, with owners reporting axle and suspension issues, electronic demons and even braking problems as reasons to avoid their purchase. Above all else, it is very costly to address these issues if you do face them, with one warranty company stating that the average repair bill for a six-year old Maserati is around £1200.

If looking to buy a used model, check the service history and make sure it is fully stamped by an authorised Maserati garage. New cars come with a three-year warranty, but if there is an option to get an extended warranty, go for that, too, as it could help cover any future costly repair bills. Similarly with used cars, ensure the dealer offers some kind of warranty, or consider forking out a little extra to cover it.

Expect even regular servicing to be fairly expensive, with the average cost of an annual service coming in at £600 and a major service costing nearly £1,000. Some specialist dealers, such as H.R Owen, offer fixed price servicing plans, which include the cost of genuine Maserati parts.